Wolfish Beginnings
by Calipsancat
Summary: This is how Remus became a werewolf. It's not finished yet, but we'll see.
1. Beginnings

Remus spent at least three hours a day reading books. It didn't particularly matter to him what sort of books they were. His parents believed that he should only be looking at picture books at that time in his life, but he was quite sure that he ought to be reading their medical journals and scientific magazines. So, with all the picture books he had and a couple of manuals and magazines that he was able to find, Remus went off into the farthest corner of the yard, crawled under a bush, and in the mottled half light that filtered through the branches, read.

It was on such an afternoon that his mother called out to him to come back to the house. She didn't sound as mild and calm as she usually did and it always took an awful lot to rile his mother.

"There you are Remus, where have you been? Anyway, I have to leave for a while. There has been an emergency at the hospital. Nancy from down the street is going to be staying with you."

He peered around his mother and saw the most uninteresting person he could think of. "Mother, why has she have to be the one to stay with me. I don't like her."

"Remus," she only looked at him for a moment before turning back to Nancy. "I'm sorry. He really is a darling, but, well, what can you do with children these days."

"Oh, I understand marm. I hope everything goes well at the hospital for you." Nancy said. Remus retreated into the back bedroom, dragging his feet.

The moon was full and the skies were glittering with stars as Remus looked out the window. His parents still weren't at home. It was usual that his father wasn't back yet, but his mother was usually never out so late, even if there was an emergency. Curled up in bed, he pondered different scenarios of his missing parents. As his mind wandered he realized something: all his books were outside in the bushes.

He slid out of bed and tip-toed down the hallway to the living room. He peeked around the sofa and saw that Nancy was engrossed in one of those teenager magazines. After watching her for a few moments, he decided it was safe to creep out the back door without being seen.

Once outside he hurried over to his spot in the bushes. All his books were there, but the night-time air had made a few of the covers soggy. Remus gathered up the books, doing his best to stack them neatly, and started to hobble across the yard with his load. Halfway across, his foot slid out from under him on the wet grass and down he fell to be covered with a pile of books. He felt that his elbow was scraped, and he let out a few whimpers of self-pity. Then he remembered that his mother wasn't home and the only person who could come to his rescue was the boring Miss Nancy. Wiping the frustrated tears from his eyes, Remus stood up again and gathered up his precious cargo.

He hardly made another step when he heard a significant rustle in the hedge. He looked back at the sound and tried to pinpoint its maker. After a moment he didn't hear it again. "It must have been a rat or something." He reasoned internally. Then he heard a snarl. He immediately dropped his books and jumped as far from the hedge as he could. "Doggie?" He squeaked hopefully.

There was another rustle in the hedge and this time there was the sound of branches breaking. From the bushes emerged the largest dog he had ever seen. The dog was the dark brown of congealed blood and his paws were the size of bear traps. All of the fur on the dog was matted and spiky, and the teeth were stained meat cleavers. The dog was moving steadily toward Remus. It was only when the dog was starting to get closer (which only happened when Remus ran into the fence that surrounded the yard) that he noticed the dog was not a dog at all.

"_Help_!" Remus began to shout with all the power his young voice contained. He tried to run to the side of the animal to get away, but somehow the animal was able to hold Remus with his paws. As Remus shouted and screamed he was hitting and kicking the animal with all his might, and this was only proving to aggravate the attacker. Suddenly, he lashed out with and ripped into Remus' calf with his massive teeth. Remus had never known such a terrible shooting pain. He struggled for only a moment more before passing into blackness.


	2. Discoveries

There was a bright antiseptic sort of light all around him as Remus opened his eyes. The sheets on the bed where he lay were scratchy, so he knew he wasn't at home, but he saw a most welcome face leaning over the bed.

"Mum!" Remus shouted. He tried to jump up to hug her but the shooting pain returned and made him fall back on the bed.

"Hello, Darling," she stroked his face calmly, "you shouldn't try to move. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." He sat in silence for a moment more, allowing his mother to stroke his cheek and shoulder, then, "What was that thing? The thing that bit me."

"Oh," her glacial calmness was broken, "well sweetheart. It was a sort of wolf."

"A wolf!" Remus had seen photos of wolves, but never the real thing, and this knowledge, along with pain potions, made him forget about his wound. "Where did it end up; did they take it to the zoo? Can I go see it? it's teeth were humongous!"

"Hush now, Remus. You don't want any part of that creature, do you hear me? Now, go back to sleep. You have a horrible bite. You need to rest."

"Mum. It wasn't a normal wolf was it." It was a statement, Remus could tell that what had attacked him wasn't the kind of animal that trotted across the television with it's pack hunting deer. This was another thing entirely.

"Darling, please so back to sleep, just rest. I won't leave you alone. Don't worry, the healing draught you were given should have you up and about soon, but you need to rest.

Remus rolled over in bed with a sigh. He was very tired and he could feel a warmth creeping over him, but his mind was focused on that creature he had seen. The massive teeth and ferocious eyes had captivated his imagination and, as he finally drifted off to sleep, filled his dreams.

His recovery time was quick, much faster than his parents had expected, and they dreaded this as a symptom of his bite.

He sat on the edge of the hospital bed while his parents carried on a rapid-fire conversation with some of the specialists at St. Mungo's. He'd never been in the hospital before and now that he was more coherent than he had been during his three days of recovery, he was able to take in his surroundings with more interest.

He wandered over to the window and looked down at the street below. He saw the people stories below and smiled with the knowledge that they could not see him. Deep in his mind he felt a strange aversion to these people. He felt pleased that they could not see him, though he could not understand or fully comprehend this feeling. He simply knew that he didn't feel as much a part of the people on the street.

A nurse came into the room and Remus whirled around fast.

"Hello there, are you ready to go? Come on, follow me and I'll take you to your parents."

Remus scooted over to the nurse and quickly said, "I feel funny."

She laughed politely and looked down into his dark eyes, "I know. You're just weak from being here, you'll feel better when you're home."

But he did not feel better. A week after he had come home he approached his father one night after he had returned from work.

"Dad, what exactly bit me? It wasn't just a wolf was it? It was a really cool looking wolf if it was."

His father quickly shut his book and looked at his son. Remus looked into his eyes innocently.

"Son, you needn't worry about it. Yes it was an...unusual wolf, but there's nothing to worry about. You do feel alright don't you? You don't feel ill or anything do you?"

"No Dad, not ill." Remus smiled at his dad and retreated outside where he had been spending increasing time.

He plopped onto the grass and looked up at the gray, silken clouds. He felt a deep relaxation as he stared at the sky. He felt as if he understood more about the world than ever before. He felt a connection with the wind that blew through his hair and caught a scent on the air that he had never smelled before. It was a sweet smell that filled his senses, but not the smell of a flower or perfume. It seemed to be a scent he had experienced before, but much more powerful. He lay back, breathing in the aroma of the coming summer.

Days later, following a bout of angry persuasion by his parents, Remus trudged down the hall to take a bath.

"Do you need help," his mother asked.

"No mom, I'll be fine. I can do it myself." He shut the bathroom door and stripped of his clothes.

As usual, he climbed up on the counter and began to make faces in the mirror. He stuck out his tongue and panted like a dog and then stretched his face and revealed his sparkling white teeth. His canine tooth was loose and he wiggled it with his index finger. Suddenly, his hand strayed to his upper lip, and his eyes widened in surprise.


	3. Changes

A/N thanks so much for the comments! I really enjoyed being able to have some feedback on my stories. Hopefully, the next chapter of this story will be up sooner than this one was. lol

There was a bright antiseptic sort of light all around him as Remus opened his eyes. The sheets on the bed where he lay were scratchy, so he knew he wasn't at home, but he saw a most welcome face leaning over the bed.

"Mum!" Remus shouted. He tried to jump up to hug her but the shooting pain returned and made him fall back on the bed.

"Hello, Darling," she stroked his face calmly, "you shouldn't try to move. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." He sat in silence for a moment more, allowing his mother to stroke his cheek and shoulder, then, "What was that thing? The thing that bit me."

"Oh," her glacial calmness was broken, "well sweetheart. It was a sort of wolf."

"A wolf!" Remus had seen photos of wolves, but never the real thing, and this knowledge, along with pain potions, made him forget about his wound. "Where did it end up; did they take it to the zoo? Can I go see it? it's teeth were humongous!"

"Hush now, Remus. You don't want any part of that creature, do you hear me? Now, go back to sleep. You have a horrible bite. You need to rest."

"Mum. It wasn't a normal wolf was it." It was a statement, Remus could tell that what had attacked him wasn't the kind of animal that trotted across the television with it's pack hunting deer. This was another thing entirely.

"Darling, please so back to sleep, just rest. I won't leave you alone. Don't worry, the healing draught you were given should have you up and about soon, but you need to rest.

Remus rolled over in bed with a sigh. He was very tired and he could feel a warmth creeping over him, but his mind was focused on that creature he had seen. The massive teeth and ferocious eyes had captivated his imagination and, as he finally drifted off to sleep, filled his dreams.

His recovery time was quick, much faster than his parents had expected, and they dreaded this as a symptom of his bite.

He sat on the edge of the hospital bed while his parents carried on a rapid-fire conversation with some of the specialists at St. Mungo's. He'd never been in the hospital before and now that he was more coherent than he had been during his three days of recovery, he was able to take in his surroundings with more interest.

He wandered over to the window and looked down at the street below. He saw the people storeys below and smiled with the knowledge that they could not see him. Deep in his mind he felt a strange aversion to these people. He felt pleased that they could not see him, though he could not understand or fully comprehend this feeling. He simply knew that he didn't feel as much a part of these people.

A nurse came into the room and Remus whirled around fast.

"Hello there, are you ready to go? Come on, follow me and I'll take you to your parents."

Remus scooted over to the nurse and quickly said, "I feel funny."

She laughed politely and looked down into his dark eyes, "I know. You're just weak from being here, you'll feel better when you're home."

But he did not feel better. A week after he had come home he approached his father one night after he had returned from work.

"Dad, what exactly bit me? It wasn't just a wolf was it? It was a really cool looking wolf if it was."

His father quickly shut his book and looked at his son. Remus looked into his eyes innocently.

"Son, you needn't worry about it. Yes it was an...unusual wolf, but there's nothing to worry about. You do feel alright don't you? You don't feel ill or anything do you?"

"No Dad, not ill." Remus smiled at his dad and retreated outside where he had been spending increasing time.

He plopped onto the grass and looked up at the gray, silken clouds. He felt a deep relaxation as he stared at the sky. He felt as if he understood more than ever before. He felt a connection with the wind that blew through his hair and caught a scent on the air that he had never smelled before. It was a sweet smell that filled his senses, but not the smell of a flower or perfume. It seemed to be a scent he had experienced before, but much more powerful. He lay back, breathing in the aroma of the coming summer.

Days later, following a bout of angry persuasion by his parents, Remus trudged down the hall to take a bath.

"Do you need help," his mother asked.

"No mom, I'll be fine. I can do it myself." He shut the bathroom door and stripped of his clothes.

As usual, he climbed up on the counter and began to make faces in the mirror. He stuck out his tongue and panted like a dog and then stretched his face and revealed his sparkling white teeth. His canine tooth was loose and he wiggled it with his index finger. Suddenly, his hand strayed to his upper lip, and his eyes widened in surprise.


End file.
